annual ceremony at the UN. The winner also accepts a replica of the statue of FDR in his wheelchair situated at the FDR National Memorial — the only public monument in the world of a head of state with a disability. The creation and placement of the statue were a direct result of efforts led by Reich, NOD, the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, and the World Committee on Disability, which Reich chaired and is co-headquartered with the NOD. Immediately after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Reich organized the leaders of disability groups to make sure that planning for future emergencies included accommodations for people with disabilities. In addition to his other achievements, Reich served on the People-to-People Committee on Disability, and the boards of the Paralysis Cure Research Foundation and the National Paraplegia Foundation. He was the first wheelchair user to address the United Nations and has had an audience with the pope. Awards and honors Alan Reich was one of ten honorees of the AARP Impact Award in 2006 for his work as a disability activist. He received the George Bush Medal for his work on behalf of people with disabilities. He was named a member of the Officer Candidate School (U.S. Army) Hall of Fame. References Notes External links The Spirit of Alan Reich, March 2004 profile from Executive Update magazine Alan A. Reich, 75, a Leader In Fighting for the Disabled , The New York Times American disability rights activists Dartmouth College alumni Middlebury College alumni Alumni of the University of Oxford Harvard Business School alumni 1930 births 2005 deaths People from Pearl River, New York American expatriates in the United Kingdom United States Army officers